The Loss of Hope
by Superkillerah
Summary: Spoilers for Dark souls II and NG The Chosen Undead faces an Invader at Drangleic Castle, however the Invader has other plans...


I obviously do not own Dark Souls II, it belongs to FromSoftware.

The Chosen Undead lay on his back, the wind being knocked out of him by the invaders hammer, he was barely able to stop himself going down the stairs of Castle Drangleic, however the blow had caused his helmet to be knocked down into the abyss below.  
The Invader watched as he tried to stand up, his entire body shaking from being so badly damaged, yet he grit his teeth, he had come so far, and he wasn't going to let himself die with the Herald watching, he grasped his sword and tried to swing at the invader, due to how weak he was he had to put his entire body into the swing, and with the rain making the floor slippery, his feet slipped, all the invader had to do with step back, and just as the Chosen Undead looked up to see where he was, the Invader hit him so hard he went flying down the stairs, he wasn't able to stop himself, he felt his face and body being chewed each time he hit the stairs, and it felt like a eternity until he finally stopped, he led face down on the floor, the cold tiles cooling his swollen face.

As he tried to stand he coughed up blood, he was weak, too weak as a matter of fact, the Invader would probably kill him on the next blow.  
He looked up and saw that he had fell down the entire stairway, and the Invader was calmly strolling towards him, despite his face being obscured by the helmet, he knew that the Invader was smirking at how easy this battle was for him, there was no way he could loose.  
With that the Chosen Undead quickly grabbed the Estus Flask from belt, and drank as fast as he could, this obviously didn't please the Invader, as he ran toward the Chosen Undead, and with a thunderous strike, he sent him once again flying into the air, and crashing into the rocks behind him, The Chosen Undead was now nothing more than a bloody mess, too weak to fight back, the Invader was pleased, and clapped as his body peeled off from the rocks and crashed into the earth below, it was with that a small gasp from his left alerted the Invader to someone's presence, The Emerald Herald was watching the whole affair, he turned to face her, and upon seeing the expression on her face, he smirked, he knew that the Herald was the one helping the Chosen Undead through this area, and since he cannot die, killing the Emerald Herald will shatter any hope he has, and he will become a Hollow, with that he smirked.

He dropped his hammer, and drew a dagger from his belt, the Emerald herald slowly backing away, for the first time she had felt scared of Death, she felt the evil emitting from this soul, and she knew she was too weak to fight back, yet she didn't want to die, she kicked out at the invader, hoping to push him away, only for the Invader to catch her leg and then slash her calf, she cried out in pain, tears gathering in her eyes, the pain was unbearable, and her suporting leg gave way, the Invader was ready, this would ruin everything for the Chosen Undead, he will finally be able to achieve his true goal as a Dark Spirit, and ruin this idiots life, with that he drove the dagger into the Emerald Herald's stomach, she screamed in agony, her entire body squirming in pain, the Invader twisted the dagger, and the more she screamed the deeper he'd push the dagger, and he countinued to do so until he felt the dagger stop on the concrete where the Herald lay, and with that, he tore the dagger out, twisting it more to damage as much of her organs as he could, she screamed again, to his pleasure, and he raised the knife above his head, ready to kill her once and for all.

This of course, didn't go unnoticed by the Chosen Undead, upon hearing the Herald's scream his head shot up and he looked over in time to see her collapse to the floor, blood spurting out of the open wound onto the armour of the Invader, "No! This cannot be! not her!" his mind screamed, he tried to stand, but his body was too weak, he needed to help her, but he couldn't he had used his last drop of Estus a moment ago, and he ran out of Life Gems fighting off the monsters in the forest, this coudln't happen, this was unfair.  
It was as if luck had been on his side, as Invader in his blood-fueled frenzy had dropped his Estus Flask, it was rolling down the small set of stairs towards where he led, he grabbed it with hand and with his last bit of strength, drank the whole flask, the effects were immidiete, his strength came back, and he stood up without pain, he picked up his sword, and saw the Invader raise the Dagger above his head, he couldn't let this happen, he charged forward and impaled the Invader through the back, his sword running straight through him, piercing the armour without effort, the Invader coughed, and laughed hysterically, as his body faded to ashes, flying away on the wind surrounding them.

The Chosen Undead knelt next to the Herald, whom upon seeing the Invader banished, slowly started to try and prop herself up against a nearby wall, "Bearer of the curse." She began "I know this is not what you wish, but you must forge on." She said "I can't... not without you" He said, tears welling up in his eyes "I don't even know your name! I can't let you die!" he screamed, but the Herald simply smiled "My Name is Shanalotte" She said, tears welling up in her own eyes, the Chosen Undead wiped a tear away, and brushed the bang that covered her right eye away, he was amazed, her eye was purple, not like her other, and it entised him, "I was born of Dragons, created by men, who wanted to escape their fate, however I was a failure, and they were cursed once again." Shanalotte winced, the pain in her stomach was unbearable, and blood was slowly beginning to pool below where she sat "Your eye... why did you hide it?" The Chosen Undead asked "I was afraid, that if you saw my eye, you would attack me, and think I was some kind of monster, Bearer of the curse, you are the first of the Undead to have seen my true side, I hope you can forgive me for bringing you here," Shanalotte was in pain, with every breath her consciousness stirred, she didn't want to die, but it was fated, she could see The Chosen Undead had used all his Estus, so it was hopeless to hope to be healed, when this realisation hit her, her composure finally broke, and she started sobbing uncontrollably "I didn't want to die like this! I wanted to be free..." She sobbed, The Chosen Undead simply hugged her, he had nothing more to say, he had been thankful for what she had done, but the shock of seeing her like this had made it hit him that she was more a human in some way, even if she was born of Dragons, Shanlotte cried into his shoulder, and eventually she felt her body go numb, and her legs start to turn to dust, "Bearer of the Curse, Do not loose hope, forge on, and I will see you again in the next life." She wanted to say more, but it was time, she closed her eyes, and hoped the Bearer of the Curse well, as the Curtains closed upon her eyes.

The Chosen Undead simply sat there, unsure of what to do, Hope torn from his very being... the rain washing away the blood pool that had gathered where Shanalotte had been but a moment ago, it's with that, the Chosen Undead saw something, a feather, the same feather she used to have on her at all times, he picked it up, and looked at it for a moment, and slowly hope began to fill his soul, he realised that she believed in him, and even in death, she would still be watching, hoping that he will finally free himself from the curse, he stood up confidentially, and was ready for whatever Drangleic had to throw at him.  
Or so he thought...


End file.
